


Darkness, Darkness (1/2)

by Ursula



Category: Starsky & Hutch, The X-Files
Genre: Crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-02-02
Updated: 2002-02-02
Packaged: 2018-11-20 09:33:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11333064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ursula/pseuds/Ursula
Summary: Darkness, Darkness, be my pillow.





	Darkness, Darkness (1/2)

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Basement](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Basement), which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Basement's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thebasement/profile).

Darkness, Darkness (1/2)

## Darkness, Darkness (1/2)

#### by Ursula

Title: Darkness, Darkness (1/2)  
Author: Ursula  
Feedback to:   
Author's Website: http://fullhouseslash.slashcity.net/~ursula/  
Status: Complete  
Category: Crossover  
Pairing (Primary): Crossover Pairing  
Pairing(s) (Secondary):   
Crossover Fandom (if any): Starsky and Hutch  
Crossover Info (if any): M/K, Starsky/Hutch  
Other Pairing Info:   
Rating: R  
Spoilers:   
Permission to Archive: Full House, DIB, wherever Karen wishes to Archive  
Series or Sequel/Prequel:   
Notes: I have brought Starsky and Hutch into the present to play with Mulder and Krycek. Also want to thank Sun Singer and Dark Cherry for the safe, warm place they have made for my stories. This is Karen-Leigh's Christmas Present. She may post or archive anywhere without further permission from me.   
Time Frame: Post Season Eight.  
Warnings:   
Disclaimer: X Files, Mulder, Krycek and other characters do not belong to me. Sniff. Starsky and Hutch belong to Arnold Spelling and those of us who will always love them.  
Summary: Darkness, Darkness, be my pillow.

Darkness, Darkness  
M/K Xover Starsky/Hutch  
by Ursula 

First there was red...blood red as if the world was suddenly viewed through a stained glass window. It was beautiful for a split second before the hot flash of pain called forth the darkness. He was falling, falling... 

OoooOoooO 

Weight returned to him first. His limbs felt as if stones anchored them to the bed on which he lay. His head was a boulder with hot lava within. The air around him smelled of medicine, stale human scent, of bleach and disinfectants. It was familiar. He remembered this from Russia. He was in a hospital. 

Fear kept him still. Always gather information before betraying you were awake. Alex strained to hear if anyone was breathing nearby. He heard nothing and cautiously tried to open his eyes. He could feel his lids lift, but the world outside was dark. He couldn't even see if there was a source of light anywhere. It was darker even than the silo, which had been the deepest blackness that he had known. 

Someone was near. Alex struggled to get his hand up to tear off the bandage he was sure was over his eyes. He could feel his fingers twitch, but the rest of his arm did not respond. He lost it at that point. The scream emerged from his gut and exploded out of his chest, searing his throat. He felt a cold swipe on his arm and then a prick. As the haze of medication sucked him down, he realized that he couldn't feel the shot in his arm unless he still had one. His lips creased into a smile as he fell into sleep. 

Darkness was still his pillow when he woke. Someone was reading. "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." 

Mulder's voice...his unique slightly nasal New England voice was as familiar to Alex as the sound of his own. 

A moment later, Mulder said, "You're awake now, Alex. I heard the change in your breathing." 

"Yeah, well, I knew you were kinky, but this blindfold trick is going stale quickly," Alex said. His eyes burned as if he had failed to duck after disposing of one of the aliens. He knew it wasn't a trick but he didn't want to think about what had really happened to him. 

"Alex, I think we've been through this a couple times. You've had a head injury. You were shot in the head and in the shoulder," Mulder said. 

Mulder's touch was familiar...the hands that had so often bruised him...the only hands that could hurt him to the embers of his soul. They traced the half-forgotten path of the bullets that Alex could only vaguely remember. 

"I can't see," Alex said. 

"Yeah, I know, we've had this conversation before," Mulder said. 

Lips brushed his forehead. Mulder said, "I have to go. I'll be back. Dave's outside. He'll stay with you." 

A familiar voice asked, "Hey, Mulder, how you holding up?" 

"I'll live, but I wasn't the one shot," Mulder snapped. 

There was an edge to Mulder's voice that had not been there when he spoke to Alex. 

A gentle hand covered Alex's. It felt strong and callused from hard use. "It's Dave Starsky. You okay, partner?" 

"I can't see," Alex replied again. He asked, "Why? What happened?" 

"Alex, you went to a meeting set up for Agent Mulder and caught the bullets meant for him," Starsky said. "The man didn't know whether to cry over you or hit you. He wasn't pleased with your decision." 

Starsky had a great voice, animated, kind, and humorous. Alex shivered in his darkness and tried to concentrate on what the man was saying. He had confused memories of going someplace to get information, but it had been a trap...just as he'd feared it would be. 

A soothing hand stroked Alex's head. "You just rest. I bet when the swelling goes down that you will be able to see just fine. When you're strong enough, you need to tell us what you remember. We'd like to get the bad guys." 

"I don't know why Mulder doesn't like you. That was always what he wanted too," Alex said. His head hurt and he was afraid. What if he was trapped forever in the darkness? He controlled his terror. Never show them how afraid you were. He said, "So simplistic...white knights..." 

"Yeah, well, if you want to keep your rat boy reputation, you're gonna have to stop trying to save Mulder," Starsky said. "Do you remember what happened?" 

"I think so," Alex replied. He searched his aching head for the details. 

OooOooO 

Five hours on a plane with a sulking Mulder wasn't Alex's idea of fun. He tried to keep himself buried in the facts about the case, but there wasn't enough to last five hours. He picked up a paperback in the airport, a mystery novel by a writer he liked. Mulder put on his glasses and peered at the title. 

"That's not very Russian," Mulder commented. "What do you do, read it and root for the bad guy?" 

"Asshole," Alex muttered. 

"I know you are, but what am I?" Mulder said. 

"Jesus, Mulder, are we back in preschool?" Alex asked. 

"If we were, teacher would wash your pretty mouth out with soap," Mulder said. His hazel eyes flickered sardonically. 

Aware that Mulder was still looking at him with his classic intensity, Alex resolutely returned to the book, trying to wall the man out. It wasn't going to happen this time. It just wasn't. 

"What's not going to happen?" Mulder asked. He grinned as if he really knew what Alex meant. He moved in his seat, his leg pressed close to Alex's. His thigh felt the same as ever, strong, the lean muscles of a runner and a swimmer. 

Oh shit, he must have said it aloud unless Mulder was back to reading minds. 

"I was talking to myself," Alex said, "about the book." 

"Yeah? You losing it, Krycek? I think you're losing it," Mulder said. 

"Shut up. It's a long flight, Mulder. Act civilized," Alex replied. 

"Like you would know...You think your behavior has ever been civilized?" Mulder asked. "By the way, how did you get Walter to agree?" 

Glancing around the plane, Mulder lowered his voice to a harsh whisper, "You letting him screw you too?" 

"God, Mulder, you sick fuck. You think everyone behaves the way you do? No, Skinner uses the head on his shoulders to think. He agreed that we've been wasting time fighting each other. The way we worked it out, he has me and the bytes off his ass and I have my so called employers off mine," Alex said. "You agreed to this, Mulder. You said you would work with me for information. You think I'm holding out on you?" 

"It doesn't matter whether I believe you or not. Take it, Alex, just take it. You want to pretend you haven't earned the shit I'm giving you?" Mulder said. 

That made Alex swallow his reply. He cast a wounded look at Mulder and then moved as far away from him as possible. 

OooOooO 

"What have you got?" Starsky said, staring at his partner. 

"E-mail from Mulder," Hutch said. 

"Yeah? That alien hunter guy?' Starsky replied with interest. He brandished the paper bag at Hutch and said, "Chocolate custard filled doughnut?" 

"Are you trying to kill us both with heart disease?" Hutch asked. 

"Hey, anything this good should be good for you," Starsky replied, poking his tongue into the center of one of the doughnuts and licking up a taste of custard. He was aware that Hutch was watching him with the peculiar expression that he sometimes had. Hungry... 

Well, if Hutch wanted him, he sure liked to send out mixed signals. Starsky knew he wasn't a deep thinker like Hutch. He was a pouncing kind of cat. Hutch was the one that had to plan out every move from the mouse hole onward. 

Like the time he went on a three day fast to purify his body just to have sex with whichever suntanned bimbo was his amour at that time. 

Funny, Starsky liked to look, but he fell deep when he fell. He might like to flirt, but when he grew serious about a relationship, he wasn't the one to end it. Not ever. He could wait when he had to wait, but Hutch... 

A guy could get old waiting... 

"Do you think that ex-agent Mulder could be right: that those guys we've been investigating are part of his conspiracy?" Starsky asked. 

Taking a doughnut, Hutch stared at it as if he was holding a live cobra. At last, he gave in and took a bite, mixed pleasure and dismay at his weakness in his face. 

Starsky thought, 'Yeah, Hutch, that's the problem. If it feels good and it isn't hard work, you think it can't be right. Sometimes, the reason why it's easy is because it was meant to be. We were meant to be, Hutch.' 

Licking a bit of custard off his fingers, Hutch said, "They should be okay in the guest room. They don't want to use credit cards for anything. They're afraid of being traced." 

"Sure," Starsky said. He said, "I don't know about this, bud. This all seems strange to me. I don't like trusting other people. This entire situation reads like those crazy newspapers you like to read...Lone Gunmen? Conspiracy Times? I remember when we were plain old street cops..." 

"Yes, but now we know what is going on," Hutch said. "You know every time we looked, it was deeper and darker." 

"Yeah, I know, but aliens?" Starsky said with a shudder. "Remember when you used to make fun of me for reading the National Enquirer?" 

"Still do," Hutch said with a snicker. "The Lone Gunmen are different. For one thing, they work with Agent Mulder." 

"Yeah," Starsky said, "You know, Hutch, Mulder's just a guy. Don't be putting him up on a pedestal and all. Cause in the end, it's just thee and me." 

Hutch's smile started small, but it finished up like fireworks. He said, "Yeah, I know, but, damn, Starsk, this is the guy who gave it all up to find the truth. Besides you know as well as I do that the men that shot you had ties to the government, big business, and the military. The more we knew, the deeper the conspiracy seemed to be rooted. I've been talking to Mulder for over a year. I think he and his partner are the ones that can help us." 

"You know how I feel about the FBI," Starsky said. 

Hutch said, "I told you Mulder doesn't work with them any more. He has a private investigation firm. He has handled disappearances like this before." 

"I know," Starsky said. Old Hutch wasn't going to accept that Mulder wasn't any more important than he was. Hell, Starsky knew that Hutch was the best there was. How could former Agent Mulder be any more intense, any more kind, true, and insightful than Starsky's partner? 

OooOooO 

Alex had drifted off to sleep and woke with a start at a sharp jab from Mulder. He blinked into the artificial light of the airplane, realizing that they were landing. The mystery book slid down from his lap to the floor. He caught it before it landed. 

"Good reflexes," Mulder admitted. "Of course rats do have them." 

"Fuck you too, Mulder," Alex shot back under his breath. Mulder laughed. They jostled shoulders as they went down the ramp into the terminal. 

"There they are," Alex said, indicated the two men standing by the baggage claim. He had vetted them thoroughly and was as familiar with their appearance as if they were old friends. 

David Starsky was a darkly tanned man. He had a wide mouth with smile lines that spoke of a playful nature. His hair was black, curly, lush, and wild. His eyes were so piercingly blue that they seemed almost violet. Starsky had broad shoulders, tight hips, and a round butt that tempted Alex to squeeze it. Always in motion, it was as if he moved to music. The long lashes on those incredible eyes completed the attractive picture. 

The blond, Hutch, was more lightly tanned. He was built a lot like Mulder but was fair in complexion. He had blue eyes like Starsky but his were light colored with an expression of unshakable innocence. He frowned as he stared into the crowd looking for them. His broad forehead creased along already formed lines. He was more conventionally handsome than his partner, but it was to the darker man that Alex's eyes flickered back for a second look. 

Mulder pushed in front of Alex and approached the men. "I'm Mulder," he said. 

"Dave Starsky," the man with the curly hair said. "My partner, Ken Hutchinson. Guys call me Starsky. He's Hutch. That Krycek?" 

"Yeah," Mulder said, a moue of disdain twitching on his face. 

'It was just like Tunguska', Alex thought, 'He needs me, but that didn't mean that he's going to treat me any better than if I was a turd squashed on his shoe'. 

Offering his hand to Starsky and then to Hutch, Alex shrank into his 'ignore me; I'm helpless' skin. Both of the cops looked at him curiously. All they knew about Alex was that he had inside knowledge about the kidnappings. 

The cops were driving a vintage red and white muscle car, a Torino. Alex ran his hand over the hood as Mulder made a face at the transportation. "Is this a genuine 460 engine model?" 

Proudly, Starsky threw back the hood, revealing a gleaming engine, a broad expanse of chrome that hardly tolerated a smudge of oil. Alex said, "Damn, that's cherry..." 

OooOooO 

As Starsky and the new guy expounded on the joys of testosterone cars, Hutch stowed the baggage in the trunk. Both men traveled light so this wasn't a big job. Fondly, Hutch said, "This car is Starsky's baby." 

"Now, if it was a pink Cadillac," Mulder said. He stared with bemused fascination at Krycek. 

Mulder looked a little older than his picture on the website, but he was still compelling. His long, slightly crooked nose seemed elegant on his lean and sharply boned face. His eyes changed constantly in the light, at first appearing gray, then green, and finally even a light brown. His hair was tawny as a lion's mane, rippling with dark undertones and amber highlights. His forehead was broad and his expression was alive with intelligence. He was tall, lean, and narrow hipped, built like a thoroughbred horse with as much implied power. Right now, his expression was definitely sour as he scowled at his partner. 

"You didn't know your buddy was into cars?" Hutch asked. 

"Hell, I'm never sure if the guy is even human. If you told me he eats babies for breakfast, I'd believe you," Mulder said. 

Damned if Mulder didn't sound serious...better make sure that Starsky didn't get too close to Krycek... 

With an eye on Krycek's wiggling butt, Hutch was uncomfortably aware that there might be more than one reason to want to keep Starsky away from the man. The man was attractive and Hutch was very aware that Starsky was curious about the idea of having sex with a guy. 

If Hutch believed it was more than a whim, he might stop pretending to misunderstand what Starsky was saying. The trouble was that Starsky was always taking up hobbies, flitting from one fad to the next. Hutch didn't think he could take it if they moved their relationship to a physical level and Starsk didn't like it. If making love disrupted their friendship, it wasn't worth the risk. Starsky would get over Hutch remaining 'clueless' about his hints. 

Despite Hutch's reluctance to give into Starsky's wishes, he couldn't help looking at Krycek as if he was the competition. Certainly, the man had strikingly lovely features. He was tall, a little over six feet and had an athletic build. A few laugh wrinkles radiated from extraordinary green eyes that were framed with exceptionally long lashes and topped by brows of winged grace. His mouth wasn't large, but was shaped like a cupid's bow. Krycek's hair was sable brown and looked as inviting to touch as silken fur. A ridiculously small nose was set off by a v-shaped indentation. His chin was small and delicate, giving his face a childlike cast. 

Starsky's distinctive laugh was followed by a charming purr of a chuckle. The sound was pure velvety seduction. Hutch frowned. He didn't want to be Starsky's experiment, but he wasn't happy about the idea of some other guy making love to his Starsk either! 

When Hutch looked at Mulder, the guy looked stormy. His brows were knitted and his eyes held an intense and angry expression. Mulder snapped, "Hey, Krycek, you aren't here to play with a hot car like an overgrown high school jock." 

"At least, I was a jock," Krycek said. "What did you play in high school? I was on both the football and soccer teams." 

Starsky shut the hood, ignoring the squabble. He grinned and said, "Wait till you hear this baby on the road." 

OooOooO 

Whatever Hutch was cooking, Mulder was sure he wouldn't like it. No meat was in sight and the noodles were green and orange. Sure he had green and orange pasta in his refrigerator from time to time, but it wasn't that way when he bought it! 

Krycek had disappeared out into the garage with Starsky after the discussion of the case had whispered to a stop. Mulder clicked the files open on Hutch's laptop. The missing women had that particular roundness that seemed so familiar from Scully's pregnancy. Several had MUFON associations and the others might also have a history of abduction. Some victims would never admit that they had memories of missing time and flash recollections of alien experiments. 

The circumstances of their abductions were all the same. There were no signs of foul play and no evidence of assault or theft. It was as if, as one family had said, the earth had risen up and swallowed them. Starsky and Hutch had picked up the pattern of reported alien abduction and decided to contact the Lone Gunmen, who had referred the case to Mulder. Hutchinson had been persuasive and he had presented the case well. It had taken Mulder a full day to decide to call Krycek. They had agreed to work together, but it was hard to make that a reality. 

Ten women, ranging in age from eighteen to thirty, all in good health, all seemingly infertile up to the sudden return of their fertility. It stank of another Consortium plot. 

Hutch said, "Have you and Krycek worked together long?" 

"No," Mulder replied. He glared at the screen. All the faces...all the suffering. He thought about Scully and William. She still wanted to pretend that nothing unusual had happened. Every time that Mulder saw the child, he worried about what hid behind the healthy, apparently normal baby. All that activity was certainly not just a fluke. 

If Krycek was telling the truth, even his efforts hadn't dug out the motivations behind Scully's pregnancy. He had told Mulder vehemently that he had really believed that the baby was a hybrid. There was no one more puzzled when the infant was apparently normal. 

It hadn't been too hard to accept that the big scene in the basement was Krycek's idea of an escape route. It had seemed unlike Skinner and unlike Krycek. It had only been slightly less crazy than the idea of Mulder and Krycek working together. 

Mulder thought of Krycek the way he was when he first met him. Beautiful, aggressive, wide-eyed and ingenious. 

"Krycek was my partner a long time ago," Mulder stated. 

"He's interesting. What were you saying about him? Should I be worried about Starsk?" Hutch said. 

"I don't know. Krycek always seems to have more than one agenda," Mulder replied. "Have you and Starsky been partners a long time?" 

"Forever. We met at academy and it was chemistry, pure chemistry..." Hutch said. 

"And you live together?" Mulder asked. 

"It's temporary," Hutch said. "Just coincidentally our places burnt down at the same time." 

At a quick, piercing look from Mulder, he said, "Yeah, right, we got too close to the bastards...probably the same ones that took the pregnant ladies. It was easier to find one new place than two." 

"I lived with my former partner a while, but it didn't work out. I'm not cut out for family life. She's better off without me," Mulder said. 

"She? Oh, I thought..." Hutch said. He stared at Mulder with those perceptive blue eyes. 

"Yes, Scully, my real partner. Krycek was never anything to me," Mulder said. He wished that were the entire truth. 

"I'm going see what Krycek is up to," 

OooOooO 

"This car is a thing of beauty," Krycek said, "Did you rebuild it yourself?" 

"I've owned it since I first made detective," Starsky said. 

"I wish I could drive something this hot," Krycek said, "In my business, you can't afford to attract attention." 

"I'd think it would be hard for you not to attract a certain amount of attention," Starsky said, leaning back against a fender. He thought Krycek had a pretty classy chassis himself. Starsky grinned. He was fond of his own ass, aware of women subtly turning to look when he passed in his trademark, worn-to-soft, clinging perfection jeans. Of course, he liked it even better when he caught Hutch looking. 

"So what is your business?" Starsky asked. "You worked for the FBI?" 

"I was an FBI agent for a while," Alex admitted. 

"Most of the FBI agents that I've met are asses," Starsky said, bluntly. He liked the way Alex smiled at that. 

"Yeah, they don't have your style," Alex said. He lovingly closed the hood and patted it. "This is a beauty. I envy you." 

"I asked you about your business. All this alien stuff...Hutch buys it, but I'm not so sure," Starsky said. He saw humor flicker across Alex's eyes. 

"Doubt is a good thing, but Detective Starsky, they are real. I may not always tell the truth, but this is gospel," Alex said. 

Starsky had unusually good instincts about people. He sensed Alex was dangerous, but somehow he didn't feel as if the danger was to him or to Hutch. He just hoped it wasn't pheromones that motivated acceptance. He admitted that he was curious about his feelings toward Hutch. He had the feeling his partner was holding out in the belief that Starsky's sexual feelings for him would pass. 

Okay, maybe Starsky had bitten deep for the grunge look when it came about. And sure he had checked out the oxygen bar scene... 

Karaoke shouldn't count as Hutch enjoyed that as much as Starsky did. 

Then there was the tattoo... 

The belly button piercing, however, was pure style. Starsky felt that was a fashion classic. He was still considering having at least one nipple pierced if Hutch said he liked the idea. 

Anyway, none of those things should indicate that Starsky was always indulging in flights of fancy. He just enjoyed fun and games. Look at the Torino and the Monopoly collection, fortunately saved from the fire that consumed Starsky's apartment by being on display at Huggy Bear's kid's school. He had kept both of those passions since he was a kid. Hutch was crazy if he thought that Starsky wasn't serious. Hutch was his life and although it had taken him a while to acknowledge it, his partner was his love too. He just had to persuade Hutch of the fact. 

Starsky was aware that Alex was staring at him and smiled at the man. He said, "I was just wool gathering." 

The man shrugged and said, "Yeah, I have a lot on my mind too." 

Krycek looked nervously at the door as Mulder entered with a scowl on his face. Starsky saw the skin around the man's eyes bunch as he winced. 

"Don't you think we should be talking about the case instead of you hanging out in this garage like an overgrown teenager?" Mulder said. He shot Starsky a territorial look and grabbed his partner's arm to guide him out of the attached garage back into the house. 

"Look at the composite again," Mulder directed, shoving Alex toward the computer. "You should know him. I think I saw him with Spender a few times." 

"It's not as if I knew everyone," Alex said. "You might have noticed that the turnover in Spender's employ was fast. His plans were ill conceived and when they screwed up, he always blamed it on someone else. When he terminated you, it didn't just mean a bad reference on your resume." 

"You seemed to survive," Mulder said. 

"Yeah, why do you sound disappointed?" Alex remarked. 

"Knock off the bullshit," Mulder said. 

Starsky didn't like the man's attitude. He had watched this long to be sure that Mulder was not engaging in some sort of rough teasing. Hell no, his entire attitude begged to be taken down a notch or two. Starsky bristled and stepped into Mulder's body space with the strut of a bull elk in mating season. 

Poking Mulder in the chest, Starsky said, "No, you knock off the bullshit." 

Krycek's eyes flickered. His lips parted as if to speak, but Mulder shoved him again and said, "Don't interfere, Starsky. I know how to handle Krycek. He's not someone for whom you should feel protective. The bastard is a stone cold killer." 

Starsky checked in with his gut. It didn't agree with the assessment. The guy might have killed. Hell, there were a lot of nights that Starsky couldn't sleep thinking of the men he had killed in the line of duty. Starsky had seen men and women who killed without regret, killed for pleasure, or for convenience, swatting down people with no more conscience than as if they were flies. He knew the dead black holes that passed for their eyes. He was seldom wrong about his reactions to psychopaths; they made the hair stand up on the back of his neck. 

No, Krycek wasn't crazy nor did he appear to lack human emotions. He did have a look about him as if he had been fighting in a long, brutal war for all too long. Somehow, that made Starsky feel ever more protective. Those wounded eyes reminded him of Hutch's blue ones when things got bad. 

Starsky said, "I don't know either of you, but one of you acts like a bastard and it ain't Krycek." 

Although Starsky wasn't always good at touchy-feely stuffy except when it came to a short list of people he loved, he walked over and laid a hand on Alex's shoulder. The man looked at him with wide eyes, a hint of color on his beautifully drawn cheeks. Starsky tried to rub the tension out of the tightly bunched muscles and said, "Look, if you need to sleep in a separate bedroom from this guy, you can sleep in my bed." 

Shit...now that sounded like a blatant invitation. Starsky felt his face redden. He said, "Hutch wouldn't mind me bunking down with him." 

The way Mulder glared at Starsky's hand, it was as if Starsky was touching him without permission. Alex didn't object though. He lowered his eyes but he seemed to relax at Starsky's touch. 

"Alex doesn't mind sleeping in the same room as me. Do you, Alex?" Mulder said. His voice was under complete control, but still managed to convey menace. 

Looking at Mulder, Alex shook his head. He said, "It's okay, Starsky. Mulder has a lot of reasons to despise me." 

Sick, Starsky thought. These guys were trapped in some painful loop of pain given and taken. He knew he shouldn't get involved, but he felt something for Krycek. If he couldn't have Hutch, just maybe...if he liked it with Krycek, wouldn't that prove to Hutch that it would work out for the better between the two of them? Well, Starsky didn't really believe that. 

"Alex, tell Starsky to back off. He's safe enough with me, Starsky. I haven't killed him yet," Mulder said. 

"Just remember that you're a guest. Hutch and I won't have abuse under our roof," Starsky said. 

OooOooO 

It had been a long time since someone treated Alex as if he had rights. If he was that Hutch guy, he'd have latched onto Starsky and never let him go. Of course, Alex wasn't good at self-denial. Mulder was his addiction. Every time that Mulder used him, Alex told himself not again. Every time, he gave in to the feelings that overwhelmed him. He fooled himself into believing that Mulder really cared for him beneath the callous attitude. 

This time, it wasn't going to happen. Alex ducked into the bathroom, took a quick shower, and bundled himself in the thread-worn sweats that he used for pajamas. Mulder rolled his eyes when Alex entered the bedroom and said, "Sexy, Alex, very sexy..." 

Lips forming a tight line to avoid a retort, Alex burrowed under the covers and turned his face to the wall. He wasn't going to talk to Mulder. Leave no openings for the man to get under his skin... 

Alex heard Mulder come back. He pretended to sleep, although his hand gripped the pillow until it ached. He tracked Mulder by the sounds, waiting for him to get into the other bed. It didn't happen. Alex could sense that Mulder was standing in the room, looking at him. He shuddered, his breath sighing. 

The weight settled on his bed and the covers lifted. Alex resolutely kept his face turned away. Mulder's hands pulled at his pants. 

"No," Alex said. 

"Yeah, right," Mulder said, "You know that you want it." 

"I don't," Alex said, wishing that he was telling the truth. 

"Alex...Alex..." Mulder said, his breath heating the back of Alex's neck. His hand's fumbled under the sweatshirt, reaching around until they found Alex's nipples. His lips explored Alex's neck as his fingers rubbed lazy circles around the aureoles. "I'm going to make it good for you. I won't hurt you. This is one place where it works. Don't screw it up for us. I need you. You know I need you." 

Oh, God, Mulder... 

Agile fingers bunched the sweatshirt higher and pulled the pants down to reveal Alex's spine. The light switched on. Alex blinked and resisted opening his eyes. Mulder drew in a deep breath. 

"As beautiful as I remembered. I always loved your back," Mulder said, his fingertips tracing Alex's spine. "You're thin, Alex, you must not be eating well. I can feel your ribs. I can nearly feel your heart beating through your flesh. You're not frightened by me here, Alex. You know that it will be good, almost perfect..." 

Damn it... that was the problem. Mulder's touch would inflame him, take him to the brink of extinction and tumble with him the entire way. Alex knew his body would sing for Mulder and that he would feel incredibly alive. He moaned as Mulder's fingertips were replaced with his lips. The hot, wet touch of Mulder's tongue made him shiver with helpless anticipation. He was hard and his legs spread against his will. 

"You have to say yes, Alex. I'm not a rapist. I've never taken you against your will, have I?" Mulder said. 

It was hard to think with Mulder's hands stroking him, teasing him... 

Traveling over him, Mulder's hand cupped Alex's erection through the heavy jersey of the sweatpants. A soft chuckle noted what he found. "Alex, this is the one thing that doesn't have to be complicated. Say yes or no." 

"Okay," Alex found himself saying. He was going to hate himself for it, but Mulder had worked his magic on him. Alex sat up with some help from Mulder and raised his arms to be undressed. 

"Yes, that's it," Mulder said, "that's my boy." 

Mulder was naked and his erection glistened between his legs. The sweat top hit the floor and Mulder gripped Alex's sides. "Mine," he said. "You've always belonged to me, Alex. Do you think that anyone...that Starsky could make you feel this way?" 

The bastard was right. The combination of fear, anger, arousal, shame, and guilt was like a drug. Mulder's eyes traveled over him, not even cringing back from the scarred stump. 

Alex thought, 'Well, he shouldn't flinch from it. That was his too, marking Alex more completely than any tattoo or brand.' 

The fire in Mulder's eyes grew softer and he leaned closer, his face angled to find Alex's lips. One brush of that familiar mouth and Alex was lost. Mulder was his addiction as Alex was Mulder's. They consumed each other. They scarred each other soul deep until their wounded incomplete selves only fit to each other. 

A moment later, Alex was naked. Mulder's mouth sucked hard on his soft neck, right under the line of his jaw. He was marked...twice over. He knew that Mulder's hands were gripping him so tight that he would wear the midnight-shaded imprints for a week. 

"I want to see you," Mulder said. He reached for the lubricant that he must have set on the bed table. 

Alex closed his eyes, lashes fluttering as he considered how disgusted he was with himself. Mulder knew that he would win when he set that tube on the table. It must make the man laugh to see the ruthless double agent turn into a spineless slut under his touch. 

Lips claimed his belly, tickling him. Mulder's tongue explored his navel. Mulder's nose brushed Alex's armpits. Mulder said, "I love the way you smell. If I could bottle this scent, I could make a fortune. Eu de Alex." 

Mulder's chin rested against Alex's breastbone as he considered Alex's face. The sharp point hurt even as the contact settled Alex. "We belong to each other, you know, Alex. Yin and yang, dark and light, and all the shades between." 

Mulder nodded and drew away. His fingers teased Alex's opening a moment later. "Haven't been playing much," he said. "That's good. You know whom you belong to. That's one good thing I can say about you." 

Alex kept his eyes open now. He wouldn't miss one moment of Mulder's expression. Now, Mulder was tender, fascinated, enraptured by Alex's body and caught up in the passion that always existed between them. When Mulder looked at him like that, Alex believed. He believed that it would be different. That this time, it wouldn't end with the sex and Mulder would understand why Alex had behaved as he had. Alex always hoped that the physical love would bring caring with it and Mulder would suddenly treat him as an ally if not as a beloved. 

Hope was the most addictive drug of all. 

"You ready?" Mulder asked, as his fingers gently circled inside Alex, shaping him to a design that would only accommodate him. 

Licking his lips, Alex whispered back, "Yes. Always." 

Mulder's eyes narrowed, "Alex," he said tenderly. "I..." 

Mulder stopped himself and shook his head. "Don't want to get carried away. We are good here together like this." 

A wry smile danced on Mulder's lips. "We are a pair, aren't we, Alex?" 

The press of Mulder's erection made Alex yield. There was always some degree of pain, but Mulder was seldom brutal. Even if he left Alex bruised and bleeding, as he had in Tunguska, the moment Mulder decided to have sex with him, he became so gentle that Alex would forgive him. 

The press of Mulder's entry was inexorable. Stone would have yielded to him. Alex could feel Mulder's sweat anointing him. The sudden explosions of breath as sensation overwhelmed them came closer and closer together. He arched and pressed up. The rough wool of Mulder's public hair pressed against the tender flesh of his ass. 

Mulder's face scrunched with near agony of bliss. His muscles were defined by the tension of his body. Such a thin line between pleasure and pain... 

There was no space left between them. The barriers fell. Alex felt as if he were raw and open to Mulder's emotions. As Mulder thrust more rapidly, one hand left Alex's thigh to close over his cock. "Almost," Mulder hissed as he set a faster pace within and without. "Come with me, Alex. Come with me all the way." 

Alex's body rocked with pleasure. He held back most of a loud groan of pleasure. He knew that some sounds were escaping and hoped that Starsky didn't think that he was being beaten. This was not to be seen. This was between Mulder and himself. It was theirs. 

Even through the condom, Alex could feel the fire of Mulder's semen. He was the only man that Alex wished like hell to have inside him unprotected. They'd done that once in Tunguska...writhing on that concrete floor like demons of desire. Afterwards, Mulder had been frightened, even though he was the one that insisted. Alex had assured him that he was clean, had been tested, and finally Mulder had calmed. But the fear had caused Mulder to withdraw, wall Alex out at a time when he wanted to talk to Mulder, assure him that Alex would get them out of there safely. 

It had all gone to hell, hadn't it? 

This time, Mulder remained tender. He drew off the condom and padded away to the guest bath to get a washcloth. After he had carefully removed the traces of their sex, he had snuggled Alex close, lying over him, a leg mounting him, pelvis to back with no space between them. 

The last word that Mulder said to Alex as sleep drew him down was "mine". 

His... 

OooOooO 

The sounds that interrupted Starsky's sleep at first galvanized him to action. He was on the edge of the bed, ready to charge into the guestroom and rescue Alex before he realized the rhythm of the groans was somewhat familiar. 

Shit. That would have been embarrassing! 

The polite thing to do would have been to turn on the radio and give them some privacy, but instead Starsky listened. His cock stood up, wanting to join the action. It wouldn't hurt to jerk off. Better to satisfy his urges now than to walk around hard all day tomorrow. 

At first, Alex filled his thoughts. Starsky filled in the blanks from a gay porno film he had rented, putting himself on top where the homely, but well-hung lead had been. From everything he had read and heard, it wasn't that much different, just tighter and maybe harder. Guys often liked it harder, the books suggested, more intense. 

It was easy to imagine Alex's face filled with passion, but as Starsky's hand moved over his cock, the face in his dreams became Hutch's. He hesitated, feeling reluctant to use his partner's face in this fashion. He couldn't help himself. He was lost in a dream where his blond angel was his. Where they completed each other physically as they always had in spirit. 

When Starsky came, he almost sobbed. It wasn't enough to dream it. He needed Hutch. 

His forehead crinkled and he suddenly had a plan...one that might help Alex as well as himself. 

OooOooO 

There were marks on Alex's throat above the collar of the black sweater he wore. Starsky momentarily thought that he had been wrong and that Mulder had been hurting the man last night. Quickly enough, he realized that they were the marks of passion, perhaps calculated to show ownership. 

His jaundiced eyes took in Mulder's cocky pose. Starsky thought he could take the man down a peg or two. 

"Alex and I will take half the abduction sites. Hutch and you can partner up, Mulder, to look at the rest," Starsky said. 

Hutch gave him a look, but wouldn't challenge Starsky in front of strangers. He frowned at Starsky though and the look he gave Alex was not a pleased one. 

Mulder said, "What? Why? I want Krycek where I can keep an eye on him." 

"The abduction sites are scattered all over Los Angeles," Starsky said, "This way we get you two up to speed in half the time. We can compare notes tonight." 

"I want to see all of the sites and talk to the witnesses myself," Mulder said. 

"If that's your gig, you can go back out on your own later. Me and Hutch only have a few days off to crack this case so we don't have time for your bullshit," Starsky said. He looked at Alex meaningfully. 

With a shrug and a smirk at Mulder, Alex followed Starsky to the Torino. 

Mulder grumbled as he went with Hutch, "How come I have to go in the Ford Fairlane?" 

"The Ford Fairlane is a great car. Just because I preserved the original paint job unlike my partner's flashy restoration with that Torino," Hutch defended. 

Shuddering at the shit brown, flaking finish of the Fairlane, Starsky gunned the Torino onto the street. 

"How did it go with Mulder last night?" Starsky asked. "Did he treat you good?" 

Alex's cheeks pinked and he muttered, "Okay. Want details?" 

Resisting the urge to say yes, Starsky said, "I wasn't meaning to pry; I was worried about you." 

A sharp look at Starsky and Alex said, "But you are curious, aren't you? I've met guys like you, wanting to know what it's like. Sometimes, I showed them." 

"Mulder seems possessive," Starsky said. 

"Yeah, well, he is in his own way," Alex said. "I don't get off on his behavior." 

"Have you been in love with Mulder a long time?" Starsky asked gently. 

"You don't pull your punches, do you?" Alex said. He leaned back in the seat, his hand playing with one elfin ear. 

Starsky didn't expect an answer. He was navigating the turnpike when Alex's soft voice said, "We were partners. It wasn't supposed to be real, but how I wished it were. I've heard it's not unusual for a partnership in a high stress job to lead to strong feelings. You love your partner or you hate your partner. I loved him." 

"I know what you mean," Starsky said. 

"You're in love with Hutch? How come you've been looking at me then?" Alex asked. 

"I've loved Hutch for a long time, but I couldn't put a label on what I felt. Or maybe I could, but I wasn't mature enough to handle it. A while back, the guys we might be both chasing put a plug in me. I nearly died. One thing I thought about when I was getting well...I loved Hutch every which way a person could. Anyone else that came into my life was going to take a back seat to him. It wasn't fair and it wasn't honest. It took me a while to even hint at what I was thinking to Hutch. I thought he would be open to it. Hutch has always been more up front about what we meant to each other than I was," Starsky said. 

"Hang on," Starsky said, maneuvering around a tight knot of speeders. He grinned as he saw a pair of state troopers swoop down on the lemmings. 

"Shit, I'd hate to see what your version of hot pursuit is like," Alex said. 

"I have power to spare," Starsky said. "Why not use it?" 

Claiming the left-hand lane, the Torino ate up the miles toward their first stop. He said, "You were asking why I was checking you out. First of all, you aren't hard to look at and I don't know... you give off some pretty strong signals." 

"So you pegged me as an easy lay?" Alex said. 

"Take it easy. That's not what I meant. I checked you out because there's something about you that I find attractive. I want Hutch, but maybe I could be interested in you too," Starsky said. 

"I don't want to be a substitute for your Hutch," Alex said. "You're a nice guy, Starsky and if..." 

The words rasped suddenly as Alex's voice became husky. "If things were different." 

"Yeah, I know," Starsky said. "I was thinking that it would be a hell of a lot better for you if your Mulder realized he loves you." 

"Grow up, Starsky, not everyone is into true love and white knights. Mulder's interest in me ends the moment we get out of bed. I don't like it and I keep hoping that it will change but I live in the real world. Mulder doesn't give a shit about me. Sometimes I think he gets off as much hitting me as he does fucking me," Alex said. 

Starsky spared a hand long enough to pat Alex's leg. He said, "He wouldn't be so obsessed unless there was more to it. I may seem innocent compared to you, but I've been around." 

"What I'm thinking is that we make like we are getting interested in each other. Maybe if I make Hutch jealous, he will get the idea that he'd better move on it. As for your Mulder, he needs some good old fashioned competition," Starsky said. 

"You think so," Alex asked. His eyes remained on Starsky for a long moment. Starsky could feel them burning into him even without looking directly at the man. 

"It couldn't be much worse," Alex said. "I used to think that if I could only be his partner again that it would be all that I wanted. Even if he hurt me, just to be with him, to know that I could protect him, hear his voice..." 

The poor guy had it as bad as Starsky had it for Hutch. A moment of self-satisfaction made Starsky glow inside. If you are going to have one great, unrequited love, then loving someone as good as Hutch was the way to go. Sometimes, Starsky wondered how people could just look at Hutch. Why Starsky could stare at him for hours... 

"Yeah, well, Hutch is impressed with your guy. Thinks he's Batman or something, the Dark Knight. The guy who is trying to save the Earth from some kind of bogeymen," Starsky said. 

"They're real," Alex said. "You don't want to know how real." 

A moment later, Alex said, "I'll try your plan. Shit, can't make things much worse for me." 

"Good, you and I will go out tonight. When we get back, you sleep with me," Starsky said. 

"What? I don't know...Mulder," Alex said, shifting in the seat. He gave Starsky another of those sidelong glances from beneath his lashes. As if he didn't know how effective a weapon that was... 

"We don't have to really do anything," Starsky said, trying to sound disappointed. "We'll just fake them out." 

"You think you can fool your partner? And should you? Why risk what you have with the guy? Mulder and I make the earth move in bed, but I'd trade it if he cared for me half as much as your Hutch cares for you," Alex said. 

Mona Lisa smile...Alex added, "Maybe." 

"I've got to do something. This is driving me nuts. Besides, even if this screws things up instead of helping, Hutch will forgive me. He always does." 

"Must be nice," Alex said. 

Poor guy...he might be some tough super spy type but he had it bad for Mulder. Starsky had made a mistake or two along the way, but once he knew the score, he was out of there. Hutch was the same. Whenever a relationship went sour, they always had each other. Starsky couldn't imagine sticking with a relationship that was as painful as the one Mulder and Krycek had. He wasn't sure if he was doing Alex any favors by trying to move the love affair along. 

OooOooO 

The neighborhood that Starsky drove into looked tough. Alex recognized gang slogans on walls. The house in front of which they parked was neat compared to many of the others. The paint might be peeling, but no trace of graffiti was tolerated. The yard boasted of sparse grass, a cheap swing set, a sandbox, and a number of dogs. 

Starsky swaggered out of the car, stood on the sidewalk, and whistled. A skinny teenage boy ran out the door. 

"Gimme five," Starsky said, slapping a ten into the kid's hand. "Don't let anything bad happen to my baby." 

"Got'cha," the kid said, stationed himself in front of the Torino. Starsky grinned and sauntered into the yard, giving his tight jeans a hitch. 

One of the little boys in the sandbox was obviously part African American. The other child was a golden skinned blond, but both shared a certain exotic cast to their features. As they looked with shy interest at the two strangers, a teenage girl came running out. "Paul, Billy, you know you were supposed to stay inside. Oh, Detective Starsky! Come inside." 

The two toddlers ran squealing with laughter away from their sister. A woman came to the door and yelled, "You kids better get in here or grandma isn't going to buy you anything at the Pow-wow." 

Spotting Starsky, the apple-round woman said, "Hey, there you are...Come in." 

Starsky said, "This is one of the guys that I told you about...the experts in this business. This is Alex Krycek." 

With a glance at Alex, Starsky said, "This is Rosa Rides Pretty. She's the mother of one of the missing woman." 

"Good. I've been dreaming about her in the meetings. I know she's going come home soon. I know," the woman said. 

The house wasn't small, but it seemed close by virtue of the sheer number of people packed into it. An Indian man in a wheel chair worked on a mass of feathers at the dining room table. A thin woman, who looked to be in her twenties, dragged a comb through the glossy mass of hair belonging to a little girl right off some western postcard. 

Suitcases stood ready on the floor, open and displaying spills of clothing with museum quality beadwork. An elderly man was rocking a baby. His thin white braids were bound with red yarn. He looked distrustfully at the intruders and scowled. 

"Pa..." the woman warned. "Don't say nothing. I invited Dave here." 

"You come in the kitchen. I'm making the fry bread for the Pow-wow. Joy is helping me," Rosa said. 

The kitchen looked cluttered, but was clean. Alex nearly tripped on a patch to linoleum that had come loose. Rosa said, "Mind that. I've been saving to have the kitchen redone, but the cost of things..." 

Returning to the counter, Rosa dived back into a huge steel bowl of dough. Her clever plump hands formed rounds of dough, made a small hole in each, and plunked it into an outsized electric frying pan. Alex inhaled the enticing smell and his stomach rumbled. 

The beautiful young woman left her work for a moment. Before Alex could object, he had a cup of coffee and a slab of the fried bread, glistening with jam and butter. Starsky got the same treatment. He sprawled at a small kitchen table. He appeared lazy and indolent, very relaxed, but Alex sensed that it was an act. Starsky didn't miss a thing. 

Joy, the daughter, was as beautiful as some of the Tartar women that Alex had seen in Russia. Her eyes were like those in Japanese paintings, large, dark, and slanted. Her thick braids made you want to loose the hair to admire it. She was slender and graceful. Her eyes made Alex think of Mulder for some reason. He had almost an Asian look about him sometimes when he was in the grip of strong emotions or maybe it was that beautiful people always made him dream about Mulder. 

"Joy was with her twin, Lee-Lee, the first time that she was taken from us," Rosa said. "We were out camping. The girls went to use the pay showers in the next campground. Pretty soon, Joy came running into camp. Joy's in track, you know. Very fast. Faster than her sister, even if they are identical twins. My daughter was sobbing and yelling about lights, gray men taking her sister." 

"No one but Mom believed me. The policemen said that it was stress, but they were wrong. It was just as I said," Joy said, as she returned to her work. 

Alex said, "I believe you. They took her, but somehow she came back?" 

"We were called to the hospital," Rosa said. "Lee-Lee was there. She was very ill for a while and wouldn't say what happened to her. The doctors...checked to see if she had been raped, but it didn't look like it." 

Blushing, Rosa said, "It took a while to notice that her moons had stopped. She was afraid she was pregnant and didn't say anything right away. Finally, she spoke up and told me. I had her checked and they said...they said she couldn't be pregnant. Her ovaries were gone. My baby wasn't ever going to be a mother. That was when she was fourteen. She put her head back together, worked hard in school and oh, she became such a fine dancer with beautiful manners. I'm so proud of her and Joy. Lee-Lee is the queen at the Civic Center Pow Wow, the biggest in the city. Joy is the runner up. In fact, Lee-Lee was going to turn the crown over to Joy since the queen is not supposed to be pregnant." 

"It was a real pregnancy? The doctors said so?" Alex asked. 

"Yes, they made Lee-Lee go to some specialist that I didn't like at all. He was rude and bossy like the Indian Health Doctors used to be. He said that if Lee-Lee didn't keep her appointments that Child Welfare might take her baby. I don't think they could, but Lee-Lee was sure they would," Rosa said. 

"How far along was she?" Alex asked. 

"Almost seven months when they took her," Rosa said. "Everyone else went up to the big Pow Wow in Seattle and to see Francis....my oldest daughter. She just had the cutest little boy. I had to work and Lee-Lee wasn't feeling well. It was a difficult pregnancy. I worried about her." 

"What happened? Were you here when they took her?" Alex asked. 

"Yes. All the lights went out and some men came in. They were wearing masks and shining spotlights in our faces, but I wasn't fooled. When they grabbed Lee-Lee, I ran at one of them. He had an alien face, but when I scratched him; he bled red. I got him real good. Hard as I tried to defend my baby girl, they took her. They took her!" Rosa screamed. 

Gulping, Rosa and Joy clung together for a few moments. 

"Do you think it was the same people both times?" whispered Starsky. 

"No," Alex said, "The first time was probably the real thing and there was no doubt a second abduction that no one knew about. That's how she would have been impregnated. The last time though...the aliens are gone. I'm almost sure of it. Mulder and I took them out, but that leaves some dangerous men who would do anything to keep their power. I think what we are investigating is a cover-up." 

As Rosa and Joy calmed down, Alex said, "Did the investigating officers take the skin sample from beneath your nails?" 

"Yes, but when Starsky and his blond partner came around, they said that the sample had disappeared. No one knew the name on the card the man gave me," Rosa said. She smiled a savage smile and said, "I got something though. You wait here." 

Coming back, Rosa thrust an oversized tee shirt at them. She pointed at the shirt and said, "I changed out of this before the cops came. It has a big blood spot. I didn't think anything about it until I read on the Internet about how they can tell things even from a dried out splotch like this. It hasn't been washed. It fell behind the bed and I only found it a few days ago." 

Starsky said, "Evidence keeps disappearing on this case. I'd hate to take this to the lab and have them lose it." 

"I have a source that can run some types," Alex said, "We'll fed ex it to him." 

Starsky patted Rosa on the shoulder and said, "You did good, Rosa." 

"I know she's alive," Rosa said, "I saw her crying for me at the Peyote meeting. Bring her back to me." 

Not all the victim's families were as cooperative and helpful as Rosa. Alex was tired of the interviews even though he had always enjoyed the footwork of investigation. This time, his guilt was too big a burden. If he had just been willing to take the risk at an earlier time, none of this would have happened. These families would be intact. 

OooOooO 

Even sitting still, Mulder seemed to radiate energy. He reminded Hutch of the opals his last girlfriend had favored. The surface was beautiful, polished, and lovely. Looking deeper into the stone, there seemed to be endless layers of iridescence as if a galaxy of stars glowed from within. Mulder glanced his way, looked back out the window and sighed. 

"You must think I'm an ass," Mulder said. 

"No, I guess you're under a lot of pressure," Hutch said carefully. 

"It's not that. My life has been a carnival sideshow for so long that I don't think I could cope with a remotely normal existence. It's Krycek. He's like a drug. He makes me behave in ways that I regret later. I lose my temper around him," Mulder said. 

Thinking about the sounds that escaped from the guest room last night, Hutch wasn't sure that Mulder was telling the entire story. On the subject of last girlfriends...how long had it been? His Lady of the Opals had gently put her ring-covered hand on his one day and said, "Hutch, when we're together, we're never alone." 

Hutch and Miranda had gone away for a weekend and were at a beautiful timeshare beach house when they'd had that conversation. Miranda had twisted the opal ring on her finger and said, "You called Starsky five times today. I can't count how many times you've said his name. You're in love, Hutch. That's cool with me, but, sweetheart, I don't want to be in the middle." 

All the talk in the world hadn't changed Miranda's mind. Hutch had to admit that she was right. His relationship with Starsky just got deeper as time passed. The problem was that Hutch was afraid to make the first move or rather to give his beloved partner leave to make one. He was afraid that it wouldn't work and that it would ruin what they had already. It had always been easier for Hutch to keep friends than lovers. 

Hutch said, "I don't know. He seems to care about you." 

"I don't want him to care about me. I don't want him to lov..." Mulder bit off his words and then said, "love me. We weren't very discreet last night, were we?" 

"No," Hutch admitted. "It's all right. Starsky and I don't have a problem with it." 

"It's just a physical thing with me," Mulder said. "That's all it is." 

"Sure," Hutch agreed. Mulder shot him a look, but didn't comment. 

"Here we are," Hutch said, as he turned onto the correct block of the first site on his and Mulder's list. 

The middle class house with the brightly painted aluminum siding had a Santa Claus landing on the yard complete with Rudolf, but next to the cheerful scene was a 'for sale' sign. Hutch wondered what was going on, but he was afraid he knew. 

Ms. Horovitch came to the door before Hutch even reached for the doorbell. She was in her early fifties, her hair mostly gray, grayer now than when Hutch had first met her a mere month ago. Her strong features were handsome rather than pretty. She hadn't bothered with makeup and her lips were chapped with winter dryness. Her light blue eyes looked intelligent and direct, fearless as if she had faced her worst nightmare. 

The woman said, "Hello, Detective Hutchinson. Excuse the mess. Tom and I are divorcing...he's already moved out. Without Allison...well, we've grown apart." 

Ms. Horovitch stood aside. There was a half-stripped Christmas tree, a broken ornament unheeded on the beige carpet beneath it. Packing cases were stacked in a corner. 

The pain on Mulder's face as he took in the scene seemed very personal. Hutch had read about Samantha, Mulder's sister. He supposed that Mulder's parents had fractured under the stress. It had shocked Hutch at first that families fell apart under the problems caused by a sick, murdered, or missing child. Adversity, he had always thought, should bring families together, but it didn't always work that way. 

A few moments later, Mulder sat in the living room with a picture of Allison in his hand. He turned it this way and that as Ms. Horovitch retold the story of her daughter's abductions. Mulder's gaze was so empty that Hutch almost shivered when he met it. If Hutch didn't have Starsky, that could be him. 

The story seemed much the same although Mulder managed to glean a new scrap or two of information in his questioning. He seemed inquisitive about Allison's fiance, the presumed father of her child. The man had seemed curiously complacent about his future wife and unborn child disappearing. 

Ms. Horovitch said, "I suppose I sound like a cliche mother...no one is good enough for my daughter, but I don't like him. I've always had feelings about people and I didn't like him. Tom kept saying he was a good catch...that Allison wasn't pretty enough to be as picky as I wanted her to be. As if a husband was the sum of her hopes...Allison is very bright. She's in her third year of chemistry undergraduate studies. She met Hank Calvert at a campus recruitment fair for pesticide firms. I didn't want her to even think about working for a company like that. Her health for one reason made me hate the idea. For the other reason, well, I did my time as an ecology activist. I can't live my daughter's life..." 

With a wry smile, Ms. Horovitch said, "I'm rambling. Anyway, Hank seemed to hover over Allison. I was pissed when she told me she was pregnant and then I wanted to know how? After she was kidnapped, the doctors said that she would never have children. She kept telling me, 'It's a miracle. You don't question miracles." 

Laughing, Ms. Horovitch said, "What are the young coming to? When I was Allison's age, I believed everything should be questioned. In any event, Hank was around for a while after Allison was kidnapped; long enough to be ruled out as a suspect. Then, he said something about moving on. He said you should know when it's time to let go. A month?" 

"Did you check this guy out?" Mulder asked Hutch. 

"What do you think? Starsky and I might not have ever worked for your FBI, but we don't leave any lead without an investigation. He was clean. I don't like him either, but there's nothing to indicate that he's anything but a recruitment PR person for a chemical firm." 

"Ms. Horovitch, do you have a picture of this guy? I want to show it to ... my partner," Mulder said. 

"Yes, there are a couple with Allison. Let me get one," the woman said. She stood and rummaged in one of the boxes. A moment later, she produced a snap shot. 

"You know him?" Hutch asked Mulder. 

"No, but Krycek might," Mulder replied. 

OooOooO 

Mulder had seen that expression on Krycek's face before. Much as he liked to pretend that Krycek was just a thug, there was a good cop hidden beneath that black leather and ready Glock. 

The man who came in the door with Starsky was as eager as a hunting dog on the trail of prey. Krycek said, "I have something, Mulder, a blood sample from one of the abductors." 

Mulder couldn't keep back the flicker of a smile. Damn it! He had liked Krycek...not at first sight, but when the cocky agent had gotten into his face, waving car keys like a challenge. That had taken guts to do to him and brains. 

"Yes, Hutch and I gleaned a few bits and pieces too," Mulder said. "Get that lap top of yours heated up. We have work to do." 

Krycek guarded his laptop doggedly. He wouldn't even let Mulder close to the screen when he entered his password. 

"You don't know this Hank Calvert on sight?" Mulder asked, from across the room. 

"Fuck, Mulder, you think I know every low life in creation?' Alex asked. 

"Just the ones that I suspect work for the Consortium," Mulder said. 

"Did you know everyone in the FBI? What do you think? That we had conventions? Team building meetings? What color is the knife in your back seminars?' Krycek snapped. 

Starsky chuckled at that. He strolled up and leaned over Alex's shoulder, too close as far as Mulder was concerned. "Nice laptop," Starsky said, but his voice was sultry enough to make it sound like a come on. 

If Starsky was allowed to be that close then Mulder wasn't going to wait to be invited. He crowded in close to Krycek and managed to elbow Starsky aside. 

Page after page of faces in thumbnails filled the screen. Krycek was scrolling through them so rapidly that Mulder didn't see how he could be registering the features. Black cross-outs marked many of the graphics. 

"What do the Xs mean?" Mulder asked. 

"Dead," Krycek said. 

"Did you?" Mulder started. 

"Yeah right, I managed to get a time machine so I could loop back in time and kill hundreds of creeps," Krycek replied. 

"How can you see them? You're going too fast," said Mulder. 

"Look, Mulder, I can remember faces as well as you do. This is my talent," Krycek said. He grunted and said, "Yes, there he is." 

"Do you think the chemical plant is a front?" asked Mulder. 

"Could be. Could be legit. The Consortium had some business ventures that were simply moneymakers. We can check it out," Krycek said. 

When they arrived at the plant, it was closed. Mulder said, "Fuck, someone must have tipped them off." He glared at Krycek. 

"Don't be an asshole," Starsky said, pointing at a sign that said the EPA had made a visit and closed the place down. 

"Oh," Mulder said, biting at his lip. 

"That's it for tonight," Starsky said. He moved closer to Alex and said, "You still up for what we talked about?" 

"Yes," Alex said. "Sounds good." 

"What are you two talking about?" Mulder said. "Let me in on it." 

"Afraid not, Alex and I have a date. Pygmalion Place," Starsky said. 

"That's a gay bar," Hutch said. 

"Yeah, I know. We're going dancing," Starsky said. "Have a problem with that?" 

"Ah, no, buddy, whatever you want to do," Hutch replied. 

"I have a problem. Krycek, I didn't bring you here to go dancing. We have work to do," Mulder said. 

"What?' Krycek asked, "I don't see what good it would do rehashing old information. I'm going out with Starsky." 

Knowing Alex was jerking his strings, Mulder still couldn't help bristling and moving chest to chest with him. He said, "You should leave Starsky alone. He's too good for you." 

A strong arm pushed Mulder back. Starsky moved in between Alex and him. "Uh-uh, Mulder, you can put that attitude where the sun don't shine. This is my territory. You don't mess with Alex here." 

His territory? Alex belonged to Mulder. That was understood. Mulder snapped, "Alex, you want to keep our partnership, you don't do this." 

Before Alex could react, Starsky shoved Mulder again. "What part of 'no' don't you understand?" 

When Mulder tried to push Starsky in return, Hutch jumped in and pulled him away. "Don't touch my partner!" 

The calm face on the blond was gone. His cheeks showed red circles as he said, "Alex said he was going out with Starsky. I might not like that either, but you can't just shove people around." 

"Starsky started the shoving," Mulder replied, wilting as he realized that he sounded like a kid after a playground fight. 

"Be that as it may, they have a right to do what they want," Hutch said. His blue eyes looked troubled as they met his partner's. 

"If you want to protect Starsky, then keep him away from Alex," Mulder said. 

"Is that a threat?" asked Starsky, bristling like a fighting gamecock. 

"No, it's a warning," said Mulder. 

Hutch touched Mulder. He whirled, feeling attacked, but Hutch shook his head. He said, "Come on, Mulder. Let's talk about it." 

As he passed Alex, Hutch said, "Better not hurt him, Krycek." 

OooOooO 

Archived: January 13, 2002 

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